World T20: Pak security team granted visa to visit India

March 6, 2016, 9:35 PM IST

New Delhi: The Indian High Commission on Sunday issued visas to a two-member Pakistani security team, which will be visiting India to assess security situation ahead of their cricket team’s visit for the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 event.

According to sources, the third member from the Pakistan high commission here will join the two-member delegation from Pakistan to assess the security measures.

As per reports, a two-member security delegation comprising senior director of the Federal Investigation Agency Usman Anwar and Col. Azam from the Ministry of Interior will leave for India on Monday and will take a final call by Wednesday.

The Pakistan Government had earlier granted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) permission to play in India, but the board has decided to put the visit on hold until they are guaranteed foolproof security in the wake of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh expressing his government’s difficulty in providing security for the match in Dharamsala on March 19.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had on Saturday said a security team had been constituted and would depart on Monday for India to ensure that the Pakistani cricket team was provided complete security while participating in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.

The security delegation will hold meetings with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials besides meeting senior Indian security officials to ensure security for the Pakistan team, said reports.

Khan said the threats against the Pakistan team were specific and threatened to pull out of the tournament unless the PCB gets a clear message about the security situation from the Indian Government. He also called for India to publicly acknowledge Pakistan’s participation in the tournament and to also promise full security to their cricket team.